Ubuntu 7.10 officially released

Canonical has officially released Ubuntu 7.10, the latest version of the …

Canonical has announced the official release of Ubuntu 7.10 (codenamed Gutsy Gibbon), the latest version of the popular Debian-based Linux distribution. Ubuntu 7.10 includes the GNOME 2.20 desktop environment as well as recent versions of Xorg, OpenOffice.org, and Firefox.

Several significant new features have been added in Ubuntu 7.10. The Compiz window manager, which adds rich visual effects to the Ubuntu user interface, is enabled by default on systems with compatible hardware. Ubuntu 7.10 also includes support for display hotplugging and Bulletproof X, which simplify graphics hardware configuration and make it easier to use multiple displays. Other new additions include automated printer installation, support for writing to NTFS partitions, the Tracker search and indexing system, and a more energy-efficient kernel that will reduce heat output and extend productive laptop usage time.

Ubuntu 7.10 also includes some unique customizations to Firefox. A new plug-in finder service simplifies the process of installing a Flash player plugin and gives users the ability to easily choose between Adobe's closed-source Flash plugin and Gnash, an open source alternative. The version of Firefox included in Ubuntu 7.10 also has a Firefox extension installer that integrates with Ubuntu's native package management system.

Now available on computers sold by Dell, the Ubuntu Linux distribution is rapidly increasing in popularity. "At its core, Ubuntu is a free platform for delivering open source software, certified and guaranteed to work, and with each release we strive to enhance the experience of our strong and growing user base of over 6 million people," said Canonical Chief Operating Officer Jane Silber in a statement.

Ubuntu 7.10 will be supported for 18 months. The next version is Ubuntu 8.04, which is scheduled for release on April 24. Ubuntu 8.04 is a long-term support release, which means that it will be supported for three years.

New versions of Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu derivatives Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Edubuntu were also released today. Ubuntu 7.10 is available for download from the Ubuntu web site. The servers will probably be under heavy load, so we recommend using the torrent, which is available on the Ubuntu 7.10 release page. We have been testing the Ubuntu 7.10 alpha releases, and will have a full Ubuntu 7.10 review ready in the near future.